I have nearly finish’d writing my short bit o’ writing for the anthology; have titl’d it Secret Commonwealth as an homage to Robert Kirk (and indeed the missing boy is call’d Kirk); and have now got quite distract’d in my writerly task by reading about the fascinating legends of Mother Shipton, the Loki Stone, and the apparent entrance to Hell on St. Patrick’s Purgatory, articles on which can be found here. I am ever so fond of that which is call’d folk-lore, particularly when it relates to my own countryland; quite inspirational, to be sure, and fertile ground for story-telling!
Just watched Troll Hunter and thought it was great, actually. It reminds me of when I began to develop an interest in folklore in my early teens, feverishly self-educating myself about otherworldly creatures and even going to hunt for them in the woods nearby after school. Plus, I liked the fact the filmmakers chose John Bauer and Theodor Kittelsen’s troll paintings as an influence.
Next I’m going to watch The Awakening, a recent British ghost film set in the 1920s.
In days gone by one could hear tell, and indeed it often used to happen, that many men turned into werewolves and went to live in the woods. A werewolf is a ferocious beast which, when possessed by this madness, devours men, causes great damage and dwells in vast forests.
— From ‘Bisclavret’, the fourth lay of Marie de France, late twelfth century
